So here we are: Grogser Version 2.0 post-lurgy! I’m back, baby! Alive & Kickin’ as good old Mr Big would say …
So tonight we are back at the home of live music in Belfast’s city centre, The Limelight, for what on paper should be a killer gig: UK Rockers Those Damn Crows, and all the way from Nashville, Tennessee, James Bruner and his band.
Those Damn Crows TDC have been covering the miles up and down the UK for years, but this is MY very first time catching them in the flesh, and I am looking forward to it! After they released their latest album, God Shaped Hole, and our reviewers’ raving review, I went down the TDC rabbit hole myself and realised what a bitchin’ band these guys are. So live in the flesh and up close and personal at one of my fave venues in Belfast will do nicely.
In support, one James Bruner and his band, all the way from the US of A., Anytime you get to catch a stateside band, you know you’ll be in for a treat, they always bring their A Game to the live arenas, and quite often can be used as a perfect example of how a live show should go. I always try to avoid a new artist to me when I review them live so that I can get the whole experience in the flesh. Having recently received James’ single via his PR, I avoided it like the plague, as I knew this gig was around the corner.
Now, when he hits the stage at 7:15 sharp in Belfast, I don’t know what I was in for, as it transpires he’s one bitching frontman and a pocket rocket live on stage. This dude is electric! His band are superb, and his guitarist is a wizard on the six-string! Making his Les Paul soar as he rips his way across the set with blistering solos and frenetic energy that pulls the skin off your face! The band’s vibe is a bluesy, soulful kind of rock, not unlike another Nashville native and a great artist, Tyler Bryant ( & The Shakedown ), who played Belfast a good few years ago—but also left a lasting impression on a Belfast audience. Tonight, James Bruner hit the stage and made it his own, captivating the Belfast audience with a sick set packed with quality and a frontman’s performance reminiscent of a young Dave Lee Roth and Steve Tyler wrapped up in one. A killer show and a great band, everything you’d expect from the home of music.
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But we still have one serious band to go and these guys know how to deliver! As we catch our breath, the crowd has moved forward in anticipation of a great night’s craic in Belfast. The stage has been cleared, and the guitar tech beside me is working feverishly, getting all his ducks in a row as stage times approach. It’s pretty weird that he has all these ducks just sitting there, but alas…. the world is indeed a strange and wonderful place. Now you kids know I dont mean ACTUAL ducks but a metaphor for the frantic tuning of guitars, as he wraps his head around the various alternative tunings the band use to get that gnarly thick rocking tone, I can see his spec sheet printed out with the multiple guitars, band members and tunings applied and I loving his compact and bojou setup side stage that allows him to keep this machine rolling!
Before you know it, the lights drop and the bands kick in and it’s showtime, baby! The band kick off proceedings with the killer ‘Dancing With The Enemy’, followed by ‘Man On Fire’, before frontman Shane Greenhall has an opportunity to catch his breath and say hello to the packed out Belfast crowd, “How long has it been since we’ve been here?” TOO LONG shout out the crowd, “7 Fucking Years” Shane replies …. A blink of the eye in the life of a band making tracks up and down the UK and beyond, grafting away, honing their craft. TDC are a monstrous band live; their sound is glorious, beautifully balanced and resonates throughout the room. The crowd are absolutely bouncing! Behind me, as I get tapped on my shoulder, are a bunch of diehard fans from across the water who have travelled across covering quite a few gigs, if not all, on the UK tour, crazy! But that is the kind of devotion the band now commands, four studio albums in with the latest ‘God Shaped Hole’ dropping in 2025, the band has once again reignited the passion for all things Welsh Rock and reminded us why they are one of the UK’s finest and well-loved bands. The guys’ performance is as clean and polished as you’d expect from a band now with over a decade of experience together; they make it look effortless. Starting and stopping on a dime, Shane’s vocals soar, driving home that powerhouse rock quality with every song he attacks. The guys in the backline are nailing home that thick layered sound, the drum work, thumping you in the chest. The beauty of a venue like the Limelight II is the upclose and personal feel, like reach out and touch them feel, which I think Shane appreciates as he spends a lot of the time on the barriers connecting with the Belfast audience, winding them as much as he can, so he’s getting back all that energy the band puts into their live shows.
What can I say, I knew this was going to be a great lineup and I was not wrong, James Bruner was a pleasant surprise, and Those Damn Crows just rocked! It may have been 7 years since they visited our glorious city, but hopefully, tonight was a worthy reminder that they are still loved! Belfast dig their vibe and has been championing the band on their journey from afar, but were here for you, baby! Till next time.
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Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
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